Ya sure the war was bad, but the post war period in North America was one of the biggest economic expansions in history. The population was booming, manufacturing jobs were plentiful, and you could raise a family on one salary. But since then things have gotten progressively more difficult, especially for young people. As we have been discussing, housing prices and rents have gone up much faster then incomes or inflation. Manufacturing jobs have left the country forever. It's very rare for an early 20s person to get a job like that. So yes, in today's terms you were lucky to have that first job without having to pay exorbitant rent. I gotta say, the fact that you saved and created a new business is admirable, but you cant buy a parking spot with a 15k down payment these days. 15k is like 5 months rent if you live alone. And 14.6% unemployment is nothing to sneeze at. Most of the jobs those kids do have are minimum wage. The average salary for everyone in Vancouver is 63k per year, while according to google AI you need a salary of 150k per year to buy the average condo in Vancouver, with a 50k down payment. Would your manufacturing job pay that much today? You do the math.
BTW just so we are on the same page, my record is only 32 days in a row without a day off. You win.
And I'm glad you still have that boat

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